The Role of Mitochondrial Homeostasis and Molecular Regulation of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Heart: Current data suggest that mitochondria may play a central role in the promotion of cell survival across multiple cell/tissue types. In the heart (and other organs) a phenomenon named preconditioning seems to activate the cell survival response conferring enhanced tolerance towards ischemic insults. We and others have begun to demonstrate that the mitochondria may be central to the preconditioning phenomenon. This biological phenomenon is being exploited to enhance our understanding of the molecular regulation of mitochondrial function to promote myocardial cell survival in the heart as a putative adaptive modulation in heart failure and in ischemic heart disease. Here we focus on the regulatory control of mitochondrial biogenesis, as a putative adaptive program that could be manipulated to augment cardiac tolerance to ischemia.